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Siege of Fort Nelson
The Siege of Fort Nelson, also known as the Defense of Fort Nelson in Cascadia or the Fort Nelson Campaign, was a prolonged siege of the city of Fort Nelson in Northern Cascadia conducted by the New Comintern Pact during the Cascadian Civil War. The campaign at Fort Nelson would go down as the longest and largest battle of the entire conflict as well as the most destructive and deadly engagement of the entire war. The siege began on October 12th and would last until January 1st, 2285 when the Comintern armies were forced to retreat and call off the siege after supply lines were strained and troops were diverted to hault the Cascadian Operation Winter Frost. Background Ever since Fort Nelson was annexed into Cascadia during the republic's early days, the city was used as a major strategic site for the Cascadian military as a means of defending the nation's northern territories, the latter of which was notably exposed and vulnerable to attack. Fort Nelson was attacked by Alaska during the Northern Frontier War and was successfully defended. The battle was used to justify a notable military presence in the city and by the start of the conflict in March 2284, Fort Nelson became the headquarters of the Cascadian Northern Army Group. Once the Red October Offensive was carried out, Fort Nelson was one of the targets and was to be captured by the Northwestern Front and later the Yukon Front once the winter set in. Order of Battle Cascadian Forces *Northern Army Group **Fort Nelson Detatchment ***1st Infantry Regiment ***2nd Armored Division ***12th Infantry Regiment ***13th Mechanized Corps ***1st Aerial Division ***Northern Volunteer Forces ***3rd Artillery Corps ***7th Artillery Corps Alaskan Forces *Northern Army Detatchment **2nd Volunteer Brigade **4th Volunteer Brigade **7th Artillery Regiment **14th Mechanized Division New Russian Forces *White Russian Volunteer Brigades **Northern Volunteer Divisions ***3rd Shock Army ***11th Infantry Company ***4th Cossack Cavalry Corps ***8th Infantry Corps Comintern Forces *Northwestern Front **7th Field Army ***4th Rifle Division ***13th Rifle Division ***4th Shock Army ***7th Artillery Company ***9th Artillery Company ***8th Air Corps ***12th Air Corps **12th Field Army ***24th Rifle Division ***18th Rifle Division ***7th Shock Army ***11th Cavalry Corps ***2nd Artillery Company ***11th Air Corps ***4th Air Corps *Yukon Front **19th Field Army ***13th Mechanized Division ***11th Armored Division ***12th Artillery Company ***14th Rifle Division ***21st Rifle Division **3rd Partisan Army ***5th Partisan Brigade ***6th Partisan Brigade ***11th Partisan Brigade ***1st Partisan Air Corps Initial Comintern Attack The siege began on October 12th, 2284 during the Red October Offensive where the city was bombed by the 8th and 11th Air Corps from the 7th and 12th Field Armies of the Northwestern Front as part of the second phase of the offensive. The initial advance towards Fort Nelson was bogged down within days, but the Comintern forces continued to slowly push forward and the Northwestern Front was able to force Cascadian forces back to Fort Nelson and Comintern artillery would begin poundind on the city on October 15th. A day later on the 16th, the Cascadian 2nd Armored Division was mobilized and attempted to eliminate the artillery, but was repelled and pushed back into Fort Nelson. By the 18th, the northern parts of Fort Nelson had been cut off and Cascadian troops were forced to make Fort Nelson citizens dig trenches and anti-tank barracades to hault the Comintern advance and Cascadian artillery fired on the Comintern troops to further stall their advance. The Comintern armies continued their advance towards Fort Nelson despite the full offensive had failed until October 27th when the Red October Offensive was called off by the Comintern High Command and both the Comintern Pact and Cascadia signed the Autumn Ceasefire across Cascadia. Encirclement of Fort Nelson The Autumn Ceasefire would only last three weaks and ended on November 18th with the resumption of hostilities in the form of a new Comintern offensive. The Northwestern Front and the newly formed Yukon Front would launch a second offensive into the Yukon in Northern Cascadia and Eastern Alaska sparking the Second Battle of the Yukon. Prior to the offensive, the Yukon was a demilitarized zone established by Cascadia and Alaska after the end of the Northern Frontier War and by the start of the Cascadian Civil War, it remaiend that way, but was now under threat. Unlike the first battle, the second battle ended in a Comintern victory and half of the Yukon region fell into Comintern hands. The Yukon Front had greatly expanded and now sent its 19th Field Army to assault Fort Nelson while the 3rd Partisan Army attempted to capture the various lakes, water ways and roads that traveled into Fort Nelson knowing that they would be used by the Cascadian Army. The armies of the Yukon Front advanced south towards Fort Nelson and counter-attacks by the Cascadian defenders, now organized into the Fort Nelson Detatchment, had failed and they retreated back to the city. Trenches were dug around the city and the 1st and 12th Infantry Regiments were tasked with defending the city. The defense worked and Comintern forces had been stalled, but they to dug trenches and artillery and mortar batteries were errected and fired upon the city. By the end of the month, the entire city had been encircled and only one lone hidden road had remained for the Cascadian defenders. Fort Nelson was subjected to another phase of the siege and it would be the deadliest of the city's history and worse than the Battle of Fort Nelson from the war with Alaska. Air battles broke out between Cascadian and Comintern fighters and tanks clashed either in the open or in the trenches as makeshift artillery. Alaskan Relief Attempts Despite harboring resentment towards Cascadia over the loss of Southern Alaska during the Northern Frontier War, the Alaskan regime feared the Comintern invading their country and thus sent volunteers to aid them. Fearing the fall of Fort Nelson would result in a possible invasion of the Alaskan mainland, the Alaksan High Command organized their troops to carry out an offensive aimed at relieving the Siege of Fort Nelson and this task was assigned to the Northern Army Detatchment. New Russia also took part and sent their Northern Volunteer Divisions to help the Alaskan forces. The offensive was codenamed Operation: Northern Eye, but it would be known as the Yukon Frontier Offensive or the Third Battle of the Yukon as Alaskan and New Russian troops attempted to break through the defensive lines of the Yukon Front and push the Comintern forces out of the region to relieve Cascadian troops defending Fort Nelson. New Russia took part in the attack deploying light infantry and cavalry in support of the Alaskan forces where they launched a full frontal assault against Comintern forces in Central Yukon. The cavalry broke through the Comintern defenses, but the operation was quickly bogged down at Pelly Crossing. The Alaskan 14th Mechanized Division launched a frontal attack alongside Alaskan and New Russian shock troops, but they were baited into an ambush and they were soon encircled around Pelly Crossing. Escape and breakout attempts were made, but only a couple thousand ever made it out. The rest were either wounded and/or taken prisoner and the rest were killed. By mid-November, the offensive was called off and the Yukon remained well in Comintern hands and the siege continued. Second Comintern Attack Stalemate and Trench Warfare Second Relief Attempt Winter Frost and Retreat Aftermath and Effects Category:Battles Category:Events